Jim Kitchen has always been an Independent thinker.
In many ways, Jim’s childhood shaped his current political and free-market economic perspectives. Growing up in a modest household amidst an affluent community, Jim learned of Adams’ vision of the American Dream…
“that life should be better, richer and fuller for every man, according to ability or achievement” – James Adams
Jim’s life has been a testament that the American Dream has not faded and is alive and well!
Both of his parents dedicated their lives teaching children in the south Florida public school systems. Jim’s mom, “Mrs. Kitch” was everyone’s favorite 4th grade teacher and his father taught science at the local middle school for 25 years. To earn spending money, Jim worked hard as a busboy at a Senior Center, delivered newspapers, collected Coke bottles and mowed neighbors’ yards.
At an early age Jim showed an interest in politics. At 17 years old, while his high school friends were at football or baseball practice, Jim served on his town’s Community Relations Board and attended City Council meetings. He took a graduate level course in political science at Florida Atlantic University and real estate classes in the evenings.
His parents taught him the importance of getting a quality education, which is how Jim ended up in Chapel Hill at the University of North Carolina. Interested in US–Soviet relations, he continued studying political science at UNC.
During his summers, to learn more about foreign cultures, he studied abroad three times, once in Chile and twice in Spain, travelled to 75+ countries, and learned to speak Spanish and other languages as a Russian and East European Studies major at UNC-CH.
As a senior he started several businesses including the local time-temperature-weather service and a marketing company. Shortly after graduating in 1987, he started a travel agency in Chapel Hill specializing in business and vacation travel as well as summer and spring student tours. This company was recognized by the national council of Better Business Bureaus for outstanding ethics in 1997, the same year that Jim started a commercial real estate business specializing in apartments and single-tenant properties (such as CVS drug stores).
At the age of 35, Jim was diagnosed with Stage 2 melanoma, underwent treatment in 1999 and has been cancer-free ever since. These events inspired him to lead a healthier lifestyle, and both Jim and his wife Susan are exercise enthusiasts. Jim has run 25 marathons and a 50 mile Ultramarathon.
After selling his travel business in 2005 to a large multinational company, Jim became the Director of Business Development & Acquisitions for Tui Student Travel www.tuistudent.com, helping to build this company into one of the largest student travel companies in North America.
Besides receiving his degree from UNC, Jim earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee, graduating as Valedictorian with highest honors. He is currently enrolled in a Masters program at George Washington University and will pursue a Masters degree in Leadership at Georgetown in 2011.
It’s pretty clear that Jim is a guy with a lot of experience.
His success in building companies from the ground up combined with his experiences of working in sales, marketing, strategic planning, accounting and management roles equip him uniquely to address many of the economic, social and political challenges facing our county, state and country.
But what differentiates Jim are the transformative experiences over the past 25 years … sleeping in grass huts in Nicaragua, building rooms and schools in rural Costa Rica, living amongst the less advantaged in Chile, exploring rural villages in Africa and Asia, and serving the homeless in our own community – - all invaluable lessons underscoring the importance of respecting the cultural differences of our global community.
Jim is a board member of the Make A Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina and has been an active fundraiser and Wish granter. Some of the proudest and most fulfilling moments of his life have been granting the Wishes of children wanting to attend UNC events. In 2008, he helped grant a Wish for a child wanting to meet the UNC basketball team and her hero Tyler Hansbrough. In 2009, he helped grant a Wish for another child to play golf with the UNC golf team.
He has served as a board member of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina, the North Carolina Children’s Hospital, Wachovia Bank, and the UNC Educational Foundation Board of Advisors. In 2010, he will be serving the Orange County Public School Foundation, Nourish International and the UNC Board of Visitors. He has been an active fundraiser for the North Carolina Central University football program under Coach Rod Broadway, has supported local elementary school fundraising initiatives and is assisting the Interfaith Council on moving the men’s shelter facility in Chapel Hill from downtown to Homestead Road.
In 2009 Jim began mentoring UNC collegiate entrepreneurs. He is currently coaching the CEOs of these companies:
www.ABANonNeglect.com
www.SweepsLLC.com
www.CustomChoiceCereal.com
www.AutismSphere.com
www.running-FAR.com
ABAN and Sweeps currently occupy desk space in the Franklin Business Center, a business accelerator which Jim founded in 2009.
Jim is meeting with top business, academic, athletic, social and political leaders around the state and country. He is penning a daily leadership devotional book distilling leadership nuggets into 3 Minute Leadership Lessons ™.
In his spare time when he’s not running or traveling, Jim can be found on the golf course, or attending UNC football, basketball, baseball and women’s soccer games with his family. On Sunday mornings you can find him at New Hope Church in Durham.
